a report on gadgets and gear

Boot Camp contains a wide assortment of reviews and
interviews. Technology correspondent Fred Fishkin talks
about the latest trends, the people behind the products
and some of the off-beat things you can find online.

Your Phone as Your Navigation System

Boot Camp feature for Thursday, January 29, 2009

Your phone as your navigation system. Bloomberg Boot Camp, a report on today's technology. One of the companies that has pioneered GPS navigation for consumers, the trucking industry and even railroads.....is looking to steer through the maze at Apple....to navigate onto the iPhone. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, ALK Technologies, founded way back in 1979 by Princeton University Professor Alain Kornhauser....demonstrated its Co-Pilot software running on the iPhone. But, it's not for sale just yet....

"As soon as Apple decides to allow turn by turn navigation companies to put out a turn by turn product on the iPhone, we're going to be there ready to have it. It's a great product, people have been looking at it on the iPhone. And as you know it's a popular device and Co-Pilot works really well on it."

In the meantime....the Co-Pilot application is available on a variety of other smartphones....

"We're available now on Windows smartphones, the Windows operating system. And of course, Symbian phones. Nokia has their own...but we think Co-Pilot runs even better on Nokia phones than Nokia software."

The application may be the closest thing to turning a phone into a device that's every bit as useful as a standalone navigation system for your car....and includes features such as live location tracking and traffic information as well. You can find more information at ALK.com. Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.